Indie Story

Indie was originally a name given to small independent record labels in the UK, and then subsequently became a name given to the style of music played by ‘cool’ guitar influenced bands.

Indie, or Independent. Meaning – ‘Separate and different from the rest, non-corporate, free of mind and free to express oneself as an individual’. ‘Free to express an Independent attitude, without being categorized’.

In musical terms Indie music is always changing and developing. Always guitar based or influenced, and always fiercely Independent.

We at Indie manufacture our guitars and cabinets with this same Independent belief. Our products are aimed at a musician who wants a ‘quality’ instrument that plays well, looks cool and is affordable. Our customer base is usually an Indie (Independent) type person, a musician or individual that is free of mind and chooses not to follow the masses.

Indie Guitars was formed in the UK in 2002, by Keith Willis and Ian Carnell. Both had been playing and writing music for years and were looking to start a new business ‘with a meaning’, and the music industry, specifically guitars, was the obvious choice.

It was, and still is important that we manufacture our own products. We always want to be an independent manufacturer that only manufactures Indie! We never wanted to sub-contract, so we searched for and found a factory in South Korea. This factory had previously been manufacturing guitars and amplifiers for some 15 years for ‘all’ the major brand names, and had become well established in Korea.

We had a common interest, the factory needed it’s own brand name and we needed a factory. We found that we shared some very strong core values about business, music and guitars. So we decided to invest into each other, form one company and concentrate on spreading the Indie Brand worldwide.

So, Indie’s Head Office is now in North America, and the Manufacturing Facility is in South Korea. We believe it’s a perfect mix! Musical creativity and design from the West, and manufacturing excellence from East in South Korea.

The Core ingredients? We put the musician first, and ‘The Music is King!’

This ensures that every individual guitar or cabinet manufactured is very important. Guitars are not a business commodity, (although we all need money to survive in business), they are all important to the individual that ultimately owns, plays and loves them.

Our Electric Guitar range is focused around the unique Indie ‘Shape’ guitar, designed as an original product by Indie. The Shape is based on two very famous guitars. Both of which were very important to us as guitar players. We wanted to create what we believe is the best of both! The Shape has a small body, a very friendly and familiar ‘shape’, a great body weight for both sound and comfort, and is perfectly balanced. It’s a guitar range that covers a wide spectrum from entry level through to Pro. That of course all depends on the woods and style of pick-ups we use, but the basic guitar shape is always constant. So all levels of musician feel the benefit. The neck is designed for many playing styles, from the rhythm player to the fast lead style player. It has great access to the top end and a heelless cutaway that adds comfort.

The Shape lends itself very well for different designs too. So visually it can either be ‘stunning’ or ‘dead cool’. Check out the Tribal and the Target models, they’re both great examples. The Shape range is also very affordable, and if you compare Indie specifications to other leading brands, then it becomes quite obvious that we have all previously paid big money just to buy a name. Another important principle for Indie!

Indie’s acoustic guitars are also unique. Any guitarist who plays with feeling will understand this as soon as they pick one up. They look different, feel different and sound different. Why? Because we are never afraid to manufacture what we would ultimately want for ourselves, even if that means being totally original in the search for that ultimate acoustic tone and feel.

We believe that the Indie ‘Shape’ range say everything about Indie. High Quality, Style, Coolness, Affordable and very Independent.